Corpus Christi, Texas - Will 2024 finally be the year Senator Ted Cruz is defeated by a Democratic challenger? A former Texas district attorney hopes so.

Mark Gonzalez has joined the list of Texas contenders taking on Ted Cruz as the controversial Republican seeks his third term in office.

"Texans deserve a leader as tough as they are willing to fight for justice, even on the really cold and dark days because that's when it matters the most," Gonzalez said in his campaign announcement video, taking a jab at Cruz for escaping to Cancun during a devastating 2021 winter storm. "That's why I'm running against Ted Cruz, because the little guy needs someone to stand up for them."

Gonzalez served as the Nueces County district attorney since 2016 before resigning on Tuesday to run for US Senate.

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The 43-year-old Agua Dulce native has had an unusual path to politics. At the age of 19, he was arrested on a DWI charge and said he pled guilty because he and his mother "had no options." He then went on to get a law degree in San Antonio so he could fight for other youth to get their second chance.

Gonzalez also doesn't look the part of a traditional politician. He leans into this unconventional image, calling himself the "Mexican biker lawyer covered in tattoos."

As the top prosecutor in Nueces County, Gonzalez made a name for himself as one of five Texas DAs who refused to bring criminal charges in abortion cases. He also promised not to prosecute families seeking gender-affirming care for minors.

A Nueces County resident and leader of the conservative group County Citizens Defending Freedom, Colby Wiltse, filed a petition in January seeking to remove Gonzalez from office, accusing the DA of "incompetency, official misconduct, and failure to give bond."

A removal trial was set to begin in December. Nueces County Attorney Jenny Dorsey said a hearing in the case will take place next week unless she hears word from Governor Greg Abbott confirming Gonzalez's resignation.

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"I was such a threat they tried to remove me from office," Gonzalez says in his announcement video as he hops on a motorcycle. "Now, it became clear to me – and to all of us – that there isn’t one of us, a real American, in Washington, representing real Americans."

Also in contention on the Democratic ticket are US Representative and former NFL linebacker Colin Allred of Dallas, and state Senator Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio.